Congratulations to our winners!

Tuesday

Oct 25, 2011 at 12:01 AMOct 25, 2011 at 8:09 PM

Wahoo! NOW!'s 17th annual Halloween Writing Contest was a ton of fun!

Recently, we invited youngsters 8 to 14 to finish a highflying tale written by Margaret Peterson Haddix, an area author of young-adult novels. Or, kids could reflect the spirit of the story through artwork. And some of you did both!

See a slide show of the artwork.

It wasn't easy narrowing the more than 1,200 entries that came in from all parts of Ohio as well as other states, such as Arizona, Florida, Illinois and Missouri! Hats off to all who participated.

Members of The Dispatch staff helped choose the best of the best in stories and artwork.

Wahoo! NOW!’s 17th annual Halloween Writing Contest was a ton of fun!

Recently, we invited youngsters 8 to 14 to finish a highflying tale written by Margaret Peterson Haddix, an area author of young-adult novels. Or, kids could reflect the spirit of the story through artwork. And some of you did both!

See a slide show of the artwork.

It wasn’t easy narrowing the more than 1,200 entries that came in from all parts of Ohio as well as other states, such as Arizona, Florida, Illinois and Missouri! Hats off to all who participated.

Members of The Dispatch staff helped choose the best of the best in stories and artwork.

Before we get to the winners, here’s how Haddix’s story began:

“So will you go with me?” Henry asks. “For Halloween?”

“Uh, sure,” I say, barely glancing up from my cellphone.

I have been babysitting my neighbor, Henry Gonzalez, a couple times a week ever since I was 9. Back then, his mom would just go to a different room, and I would listen to 4-year-old Henry talk about “What if rhinoceroses could fly?” and “Why isn’t the sky green?” and “Is the Dairy Queen married to the Burger King?” The first time Henry’s mom paid me — really, really well — she murmured, “I actually heard silence. I’d forgotten such a thing existed.”

Now I’m 13 and Henry is 8, and she leaves the house to get her silence.

I figured out a long time ago that it could drive me crazy to pay attention to everything Henry says, so mostly I just mutter, “Uh-huh” and “Really?” and “That’s interesting,” every so often. Otherwise, I tune out and text while Henry talks and talks and talks.

But now, when I say “Sure,” Henry’s whole face lights up.

“You will?” he breathes. His eyes are as wide as saucers. “You’re that brave?”

He probably just asked me to take him trick or treating, I think. Well, whatever. I can walk him around the block and then go off with my friends.

But Henry grabs my arm and starts pulling me toward the door.

“Henry,” I laugh. “Halloween’s not until next week.”

“That doesn’t matter,” he says. “Don’t you understand how it works?”

Um, no?

I can’t tell Henry I wasn’t listening. I let him tug me out to the Gonzalez’s screened-in back porch, where a huge, refrigerator-size box sits between the patio chairs. The box is painted silver and decorated with peanut-butter-jar lids. Henry opens a door cut into the box. I roll my eyes while Henry’s facing away from me, but then I tuck my phone into my pocket and follow him into the box.